In Iraq, Syria, Militants Try to Govern as a State

In Iraq, Syria, Militants Try to Govern as a State

Article excerpt

BEIRUT * Across the broad swath of territory they control
bridging Syria and Iraq, extremist militants from the group known as
the Islamic State have proved to be highly organized administrators.
Flush with cash, they fix roads, police traffic, administer courts,
and have even set up an export system of smuggled crude from oil
fields they have seized.

But the extremists a mix of Iraqis and Syrians but also foreign
fighters from Arab countries and non-Arab regions like the Caucasus
run the risk of provoking a backlash from the people they have come
to rule.

Unlike Lebanon's Hezbollah or the Palestinian militant group
Hamas, which have deep roots in their communities, the Islamic State
group is not a grass-roots movement and its sway over its
populations is ultimately based on violence, not necessarily a
groundswell of support for its vision of a hard-line Islamic
caliphate. While it has been welcomed by some disenfranchised Iraqi
Sunnis as potential saviors from the Shiite-dominated government in
Baghdad, many consider the group an alien entity.

In recognition of that, the group has varied the imposition of
the radical version of Islamic law they advocate. In their main
stronghold in Syria, the city of Raqqa, they have unleashed it
without reserve, killing perceived offenders and cutting off the
hands of thieves in public.

But in Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, they have been more
cautious. They've taken some steps like banning alcohol and painting
over street advertisements that show women's faces but have held
off on strict punishments.

The Iraqi city of Duluiyah is a prime example of the possibility
for overreach.

Weeks ago, a small group of Islamic State fighters and other
insurgents entered the Sunni-majority city just north of Baghdad and
were welcomed by residents, said one resident, Jassim Mohammed. But
within days, the Islamic State fighters came with lists of "wanted"
men, including police officers and local businessmen.

That prompted an uprising by residents who forced the militants
out, leaving the town under control of Sunni tribesmen, Mohammed
said.

On Sunday, Islamic State fighters stormed back into Duluiyah,
seizing the mayor's office, police station, local council and
courthouse. …